Love Like a Blade
by pheobeobia
Summary: He never thought of proposing. He never thought of children. He never thought that he would take Sokka's advice. He never thought he'd have to face his sister again. But, like all things in Zuko's life...things happen own their own.
1. Ask Me Anything

A/N: just a little Maiko love. And a short fanfiction, but I'm just kind of going with it. I hope you like!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, all rights go to their proper owners.

Zuko was often ridiculed by his friends that the fire nation would never get a Firelady. He was with Mai, but he had never thought of proposing. He was preoccupied. He was with her whenever he had free time but the thought of marriage? It had just never come to him. Sure, maybe he asked her to move in with him after feeling something stir in him after Sokka and Suki's wedding but that was the biggest step they had taken. He was only twenty-two, and Mai was twenty-one. And it kind of freaked Zuko out to think that Sokka, who was twenty-one like Mai, was already expecting his first child with Suki. Zuko walked down the hallways to Mai's room.

He opened the door to the room. Mai stirred in her sleep and her fingers closed gently around the shuriken, ready to strike.

"Who's there?" she mumbled as she woke up.

"It's me," Zuko rushed. Her grip on the deadly blade slackened. She looked at him.

"You okay? It's not even morning yet," she asked. Zuko came further into the room.

"I'm just…thinking," he muttered

"About…?" Mai prompted, lacking her usual disinterest.

"You. Me. Us," Zuko admitted. Mai's eyes altered to hold all of the secret fears she'd had.

"Zuko?" she asked hesitantly. Zuko sat on her bed and held her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"I'm sorry for the Fire Nation, and for you. I know why I've been so depressed the last couple months," Zuko explained. Mai frowned, waiting for him to tell her that he didn't love her anymore.

"Mai, will you marry me? Will you be the Fire Lady?" Zuko asked her. Mai chuckled and kissed Zuko.

"Zuko, what I love about our relationship is that we don't have to label it. We've been through so much that it doesn't matter. Do you remember at the boiling rock when I betrayed the girl I thought was my best friend and my uncle? I betrayed the princess and the warden. Zuko I did that because I've loved you since we were children. I don't want you to ask me to marry you because Sokka and Aang tease you. I want you to marry me because you love me," Mai sighed; her voice was both loving and had its normal…dullness.

"Is that a no?" Zuko asked dejectedly. Mai rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to say no, you idiot. But I just want you to know that I don't care if I never marry you as long as I know you love me," Mai told him. Zuko smiled at her, she let a small smile flicker across her lips.

"We're getting married," he smiled. Mai kissed him.

"You're an idiot," she told him.

"I can't be Firelord and an Idiot," Zuko muttered.

"Then I guess you save all of your idiocy for me," she mumbled happily. Zuko pulled the covers over her again and kissed her forehead.

"Go back to sleep, I don't want you to be cranky in the morning," Zuko teased her. Mai rolled her eyes but then sunk down into her covers. Zuko loved how she grew to be more open around him.

He smiled to himself, soon Mai would be his wife…and that meant the entire world to him, even if the proposal had come from a spontaneous and sporadic moment.

After all, their relationship was a bit spontaneous.


	2. When Monsters Cry

Mai walked with Zuko after the wedding. She felt a small smile creep up to her lips as Zuko took her hand. Zuko her love, Zuko her friend...Zuko her husband. Ty-Lee, Sokka, Suki, Katara and Aang ran up to them.

"We thought we'd find you two alone. I remember how it was with Suki and I after our wedding we couldn't keep away from each other," Sokka smirked and wagged his eyebrows at his wife, who elbowed him in the stomach.

"Congratulations to the happy couple...and the new Firelady," an unwelcome voice said, it's tone laced with a skeptical and manipulative glee. Everyone whirled around.

"How'd you get here?" Zuko asked, outraged.

"Zuko, honestly, calm down," the voice muttered.

"Azula, you need to leave," Mai glared at her former best-friend.

"I need to talk to Zuko. Just talk. Alone," Azula said. Azula's eyes had regained their calculated look, but Zuko could still see some insanity in her eyes. Her bangs had grown out again and she looked like the manipulative princess she used to be.

"No, you cannot talk to him alone!" Mai's eyes narrowed even more.

"Fine, Zuko can pick three friends," Azula rolled her eyes.

"Mai, Katara and Toph," Zuko said with no hesitation. Azula followed the four young adults into a secluded palace room.

"Well, interesting choice, brother. An earth-bender who can detect lies. A water-bender who can heal and who had beaten me. And my former-bestfriend, your wife, the new Firelady and a knife thrower. You seem to be ready fight," Azula noted.

"Just talk. Why are you here? How did you get out of jail?" Zuko demanded. Azula looked away.

"I'm pregnant," she stammered.


	3. Gladly

"She's...not lying," Toph said in astonishment.

"Of course I'm not," Azula said.

"How'd you get out of prison?" Zuko asked her again.

"It doesn't matter. Zuko, I'm having a child!" Azula snapped.

"It is kind of a scary thought," Mai rolled her eyes.

"You guys are so harsh. Zuko...I hate to say this but I need your help. I need a place to stay," she said softly. Zuko's mouth tightened, unsure of what to say. He knew she could still firebend and that under this calculated was still her craziness but she was family and she was pregnant.

"There's a guest house...you can stay there," Zuko grumbled.

"Thank you," Azula said curtly.

"Do not expect it to be unguarded," Zuko said roughly. Azula nodded and left, Toph and Katara leading her out carefully.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Zuko?" Mai asked.

"I don't know, but it'll be good to keep a watch on her. Leave it to Azula to ruin a wedding. _Our _wedding," Zuko sighed. Mai took his hand and kissed him.

"We can repair anything, you know," she smiled slightly. Zuko wrapped an arm around her waist.

When they woke up in the morning, their hands were still joined. Mai kissed Zuko awake.

"You're lovely," he told her.

"You're a sucker for...well for me," Mai chuckled.

"I always have been," Zuko smiled earnestly at her.

"I love you, Zuko," Mai said.

"Zuko, Azula is acting...behaved," Sokka said from the doorway.

"Good, now go be with your wife," Zuko excused him.

"Gladly," Sokka snorted.


End file.
